design shanghai 2025 returns with over 600 human-centric designs

asia’s largest design fair returns in june 2025

Design Shanghai returns from June 4–7, 2025, to the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center, bringing with it a bold new theme: Design for Humanity. In its 12th year, the show once again transforms Shanghai into a global design nexus, where East meets West and craftsmanship meets innovation. With over 600 curated pieces and more than 80,000 design professionals expected to attend, the 2025 edition is a deep dive into how design serves the human condition— from tactile materials to emotionally intelligent forms. Among the exhibitors, brands and institutions including antoniolupi, IED, Vitra, Villeroy & Boch, LAUFEN, Florim, and more, come together from all over the world to celebrate design.

Meanwhile, especially for the CMF Conference and Design for Wellbeing Conference, renowned studios including Heatherwick Studio, Snøhetta, Zaha Hadid Architects, take part in conversations, and become leading voices in how form can become one with fluid human movements, nurturing physical with mental health.

LZF Lamps presented by ICEX – THE CLOUD | all images courtesy of Design Shanghai 

design shanghai as asia’s cultural and commercial catalyst

Organized by Clarion Events, Design Shanghai has grown from a regional expo to a global touchpoint for design dialogue and cross-cultural exchange. Its enduring mission is simple yet profound: to spotlight not only the best in international design, but also the rising power of Chinese creativity. The event has played host to over 2,600 global brands and 640,000 professional visitors since its inception. With each edition, Design Shanghai strengthens its role as a cultural conduit and commercial catalyst, championing the fusion of heritage with innovation.

In 2025, that mission is elevated with new sections and feature exhibitions dedicated to human-centric design narratives that reflect today’s values— sustainability, material exploration, wellbeing, and the artisanal resurgence.

Yin Dahua – Male Chair

from furniture design to material application

Design Shanghai 2025 unfolds across four main exhibition sections: Furniture & Lighting, Kitchen & Bathroom, New Materials & Applications, and Living & Lifestyle Design. Each offers an experiential gateway into the latest design trends and technological innovations. Leading global names like Vitra, Formitalia, Bulo, Antoniolupi, and RS Barcelona will reveal new collections. The Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade (ICEX) joins with a showcase including Viccarbe and Porcelenosa, while kitchen and bathroom brands such as LAUFEN, Villeroy & Boch, and Gorenje blend form with function.

The New Materials section leans into sustainable design solutions, featuring brands like Ultrasuede®, Florim, and Mapei. Meanwhile, the Living & Lifestyle zone channels fine artistry with global flair— Herend, Sabre Paris, Reflections Copenhagen, and Cutipol bring porcelain, glass, and tableware back into the design spotlight.

Studio RE+N – Lunar Gleam

Additionally, this edition heralds the debut of Design Shanghai Collectible Design & Art, a curated experience at the Shanghai Exhibition Centre that captures the growing appetite for unique, story-rich objects. From sculptural furniture to expressive art installations, the exhibition navigates the fertile terrain where art and design converge. Leading this initiative are works from 20 esteemed galleries, such as Langblink, Champochic, Deep Time Art Museum, and Ivory Gate.

Anchoring the narrative is the redefinition of value— here, handcrafted ceramics, lacquerware, and experimental materials speak louder than logos. Wu Guanzhong’s silkscreen landscape, Anne Harris’s blurred realism, and Isaac Katz’s chromed ‘Spectra’ wall panels illustrate the spectrum: timeless to tactile, poetic to provocative. From Yanshan Art Center’s glazed innovations to Chengyan Lacquerware’s homage to utility and elegance, the Collectible platform positions Asia not just as a manufacturing base, but as a hotbed of meaningful design.

IED – Istituto Europeo di Design – UNWOVEN MEMORIES

Among the core highlights is TALENTS, celebrating its fifth anniversary with the theme ‘Confront Conflicts.’ Curated by Frank Chou, the initiative offers a space where young designers like Xiangzhi, Yif Design, and Yusheng reflect on global tensions through material and form. Also marking its fifth edition is neooold, which digs into traditional Chinese crafts under the theme ‘Mass Wonders.’ With handcrafted works in lacquer, weaving, and ceramics by Jiang Sheng and Lin Yuming, it’s both a homage to heritage and a glimpse into tomorrow’s craftsmanship.

Made in JDZ brings the vibrancy of Jingdezhen’s ceramics legacy into the now, presenting mixed-material works by artists such as Moonline, Studio Bay, and Correct vs Incorrect. Split across three thematic rooms, this debut feature embodies the dynamic spirit of a city that has long been known as the porcelain capital of the world.

Chengdexuan – Jade Dew & Serene Ripples – Intertwined Branches; made in JDZ – Hall 3

Re:Materialize, curated by Zhang Lei and the Róng Design Library, is another must-see installation at the fair, emphasizing ‘material-driven design’ as a response to global challenges—from environmental instability to social disconnect. Designers and brands here explore three key themes: Present Optimism, Nostalgic Shelter, and Harmonious Coexistence. The exhibition becomes a thought-lab, inviting creators to propose how materials can mediate new forms of security and connection. A powerful statement piece within this section might be a ceramic coated in aged brass or an algae-based polymer with biometric qualities—the point is to push past what we know, toward what we need.

Meanwhile, Materials First by Chris Lefteri returns to offer hands-on experiences with cutting-edge materials, while Beyond Craft Japan presents a celebration of Japanese aesthetics through material exploration. Here, artisanal techniques meet contemporary design, presenting an authentic fusion that speaks to Asia’s broader design DNA.

On top of the exhibitions, Design Shanghai 2025 is hosting three robust speaker series: the Global Design Conference (centering on ‘Design for Humanity’), the CMF Conference (focusing on colour, materials, and finish), and the Design for Wellbeing Conference. These forums bring together luminaries such as Craig Miller (Heatherwick Studio), Paul Priestman (PULI innovation), Robert Greenwood (Snøhetta), Ole Scheeren (Buro Ole Scheeren), and Satoshi Ohashi (Zaha Hadid Architects). More than just keynote talks, these sessions will interrogate the social impact of design and the ethical questions that designers must now face.

Design Shanghai offers something deeper than a feast for the eyes, for collectors, creators, or curious observers. It’s a proposition that while design is an aesthetic problem-solving, it is also a way for living better, more connected, more considered. From collectible one-offs to scalable original ideas, from heritage crafts to speculative futures, the 2025 fair reaffirms the central question: through design, where are we heading, and how should we act?

LINKUNIT – Frame Cup

NANFANG STUDIO – Fluffy Moss Tissue Box

SHOJI_The – Ode to the Luo River Goddess; painting

Desalto Spa – Micro clay

LZF Lamps presented by ICEX VOLIERE

Ciireals – Pouring-Rain; made in JDZ – Hall 3

Aynsley – Pembroke

Guanghe – Swallowtail Butterfly; themed Silver Jewelry

Galerie Monokeros – French medieval ceramic sculpture lamp 

Moonline – moonlit waters screen; made in JDZ – Hall 3

Yif Design – The Moon Portable Lamp

project info:

name: Design Shanghai | @design_shanghai
organization: Clarion Events

dates: June 04-07, 2025

location: Shanghai Exhibition Center, China

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